Press Echos - NGO News

History represents a crucial part in defining the civic consciousness of any social group. Historical memory, transmitted through different traditions, acts as the most important reference for the members of a group and serves as an element for mutual identification and differentiation in relation to others. As such, it unites and divides, and has proven a dangerous stumbling block to Euro-Atlantic integration for many CEE/SEE countries.

The Balkans offer a case in point, a region with a complex historical background, ridden with conflict and dominated by intolerance and misconceptions. This 'baggage' shapes collective ethnic, social, religious and national identities in a way that perpetuates prejudice, even violence. Thus, the pressures of history hinder further democratic and economic development and prevent full participation in a greater European community.

But, how to stop this vicious cycle? One group has an idea. The Society for Historical Studies ERASMUS together with EUROLINK - House of Europe in Bucharest, Romania launched a project entitled "National Histories in South-eastern Europe and History of a United Europe" to address this very problem. This project aims to develop a new approach to education and tools concerning the studies and understanding of national histories as part of the process of the Euro-Atlantic enlargement.

The effort focuses on three areas:

a theoretical approach to teaching and learning national histories in South-eastern European academic systems;
a gradual integration of the history of European societies and European institutions into the new educational approach to the study of history;
a practical approach to history education including intercultural exchanges and cross-border co-operation in the region, as a concrete way of involving young humanities students in the reform process and the acceleration of the accession of these countries to the European and pan-European partnership organizations.

The approach also emphasizes local history as an important component in the future of teaching and learning history, a practical way to balance the ‘national’ approaches. The history of Bucharest, Belgrade and Sofia in relation to the history of Romania, Serbia and Bulgaria is similar to the respective national histories in relation to European history. Seeing history in this way offers a different, perhaps more optimistic outlook on integration.

A practical application of this idea would be to abandon the traditional textbooks for national histories and general, universal history. Instead, the history of a state would feature in the local context and would be presented not as unique and essential, but as deeply intertwined with that of its neighbours.

The next phase of the project focuses on a more appropriate presentation and understanding of the role of the national and religious minorities in the common, contemporary history of the region. In this way, young generations of teachers and experts hope to offer a consistent contribution to the emergence of a new united Europe, without artificial borders and dangerous resentments.

By the staff of ERASMUS and EUROLINK, Romania